famous military units

Famous Military Units - Iraqi skull commandos and Russian secret death squads are among some of the most feared special forces in the world.

In recent years, ISIS has fled across the Middle East, but the fanatical jihadists have met the wrath of some of the region's most elite soldiers who fought to the end.

Famous Military Units

Alpha Group boasts by far the toughest test of the SAS's mettle - including a literal fist fight Credit: AFP via Getty Images

Special Forces' Review: Fox Puts Celebrities (and Near Celebrities) Through The 'world's Toughest Test'

In the summer of 2014, the Golden Division, a brigade of special forces soldiers trained by the United States, led a bold offensive to retake villages, towns and cities until it finally took control of ISIS's last stronghold, Mosul.

Also known as Iraq's elite counter-terrorism service, the hardened troops wear all black, with black armored Humvees, while some wear skull face masks, skull balaclavas or skull insignia.

Specializing in the fight against terrorism and acting as a finely tuned counter-terrorist machine, the Golden Division was established by the US military shortly after the invasion of Iraq.

The soldiers were selected from the best ranks of the Iraqi security services and from the very beginning were tasked with conducting intelligence operations against terrorism raids.

Germany Disbands Special Forces Group Tainted By Far Right Extremists

US General Mick Bednarek once described the Golden Division as "the lead dog" in the fight against ISIS - with each member undergoing the same demanding training as US Army Rangers combined

General Talib Shaghati al-Kinani, commander of the Golden Division, described one harrowing mission undertaken by a special forces fighter whose family was brutally murdered by ISIS.

"He lost everything," he told the Independent. "So he decided to infiltrate Isis. He grew his beard and dressed like them.

"After I stayed with them for a week the whole place exploded. The heroes of the Golden Division did a lot of things."

Special Forces 3 Dvd Elite Military Units In Combat

Showing clearly superior discipline to other Iraqi units, the troops even have celebrity status, with a Facebook page of more than two million followers.

Meanwhile, Russia's infamous Alpha Group is part spy ring, part counter-terrorism team, part commando squad - and has a terrifying reputation.

For starters, Alpha Group boasts by far the toughest test of the SAS' mettle - including a literal fist fight as the final task.

The squadron became famous for leading the attack on the presidential palace in Kabul during the 1979 Russian invasion of Afghanistan.

Encourage Minorities To Join Elite Military Forces: Your Say

A special agent who participated in the raid said that the commanders ordered the soldiers to slaughter everyone in the building.

Rustam Tursunkulov told the BBC: "We were trained to accept orders without question. I was in the special forces - it's the worst job.

In a brutal show of force in 1979, commandos killed a young Soviet Ukrainian named Yuri Vlasenko, who was occupying a room at the American Embassy in Moscow and seeking asylum in the -United States.

An elite squad has stepped up to play a key role in the Russian government's push to end a string of mass hostage crises.

Special Forces Of India

The commandos targeted CIA agents and operatives and led a raid against the hijackers of Aeroflot Flight 6833 in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1983, killing three of the hijackers.

And in October 1995, the team killed a gunman who had hijacked a bus full of South Korean tourists in Moscow, who were demanding $1 million and to be kicked out of the country.

Alpha Group is also believed to have fought in the civil war in Ukraine, according to photos obtained by The Daily Beast.

The Soviet KGB created the 30-man Alpha Group in 1974 in response to the Black September attacks on the Munich Olympics two years earlier.

New Report Sheds Light On America's Secret Wars

The crack commando team was formed after the fiasco, but the group soon assumed a wider role in the fight against terrorism.

Alpha Group survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and now operates under the auspices of Russia's Federal Security Service – the successor to the KGB – with around 700 elite soldiers.

While little is known about the exact nature of the group's directives, the unit is believed to receive orders from Russia's top political leaders.

In the Middle East, SAS-trained Afghan commandos have vowed to fight to their "last drop of blood" to retake their country from the Taliban after taking power in August.

Buy The Elite Forces Wilderness Survival Guide: Survival Skills From The World's Most Elite Military Units Book Online At Low Prices In India

Trained by US and British troops - reportedly including the SAS - the troops are considered the best of the best and have been trying to hold the line.

But the elite are standing up to Taliban special forces fighters, who have been pictured arresting and blindfolding an ISIS suspect before taking him away in a military jeep.

And in Israel, Shayetet 13, a special forces unit of the Israeli Navy, is extremely skilled in counterinsurgency, maritime sabotage and search and rescue.

GLOVES OFF, GMA's Amy & TJ 'Ready To File Lawsuit' Against ABC Over Their Suspension & Investigation

Afghan Commandos In Front Of Their Convoy Just Outside Shindand Military Base, Herat Province. Afghanistan's Elite Military Forces

It is one of the oldest and most respected special forces in the world - on a par with the US Navy Seals.

The unit - also called the "men of silence" - is one of the most secretive in the Israeli military, with details of its missions and the identity of active operatives strictly confidential.

The soldiers of the Golden Division are drawn from the best ranks of the Iraqi security servicesCredit: AFP via Getty Images Special operations forces are the most disciplined, mission-capable and fearsome unit in the world. They go through rigorous selection and training processes to perform unconventional warfare tasks that are beyond the capabilities of standard military forces. It's true that the world may never know exactly what these teams accomplished, but their public records contain enough to deserve global respect.

In no particular order, these are ten deadly special ops units from around the world. 1. Chinese Snow Leopard Commando unit

South Korea Is Building An Elite Military Unit With One Mission: Kill Kim Jong Un

Formerly known as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit, named after the tenacity of arctic wolves and their ability to survive in harsh conditions, this is a special operations unit of the People's Republic of China. In their early days, they spent five years secretly training for counter-terrorism, riot control, kidnapping and bomb disposal for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

They trained together with Russian special task forces during joint anti-terrorist exercises with the basic task of maintaining peace and stability.

The unit prides itself on the speed and precision of its shots, its strength and endurance, and its spirit of self-sacrifice. Each recruit must serve in the National Armed Police for 1-2 years before undergoing physical and psychological tests. They may excel most in martial arts and close combat, but their sniper squad should not be overlooked.

Moving on, the next group hit the news when one of their operatives drowned an ISIS terrorist in a lake. That. Let's talk about:

World Renowned Cavalry Unit Receives New Commander

"Not by force, by deception" is the motto of the Royal Navy's Special Naval Service, one of the UK's most secretive and elite military units.

The SBS is the British equivalent of the US Navy SEALs. The selection process for the elite team has a 90% failure rate and involves an increasingly challenging 4-week endurance test culminating in a 40-kilometer march — that's 24.8 miles for fellow Yankees — that must be completed by under-20s. hours.

Graduates will master weapons handling, jungle training, complex combat and combat survival before being officially accepted into an elite unit.

Born in the Second World War, the DGS is today one of the most respected units in the world. Since 9/11, the Special Naval Service has been deployed against Al Qaeda, ISIS and the Taliban, as well as in rescue missions around the world, including Sierra Leone and Libya.

Legendary Russian Special Forces Units

Means "thunder" in Polish. It's a unit that can trace its lineage back to the exiled Polish paratroopers of World War II known as the "Invisible Silence." An incredible 315 men - and one woman - trained for months in Britain before jumping into occupied Poland to take on Nazi rule there.

In 1990, the GROM unit was organized after Operation Bridge, a mission to help Soviet Jews enter Israel. Intelligence reports indicated a significant threat from Hezbollah in the area of ​​operations, so an elite counter-terrorist force was authorized. It remained a secret from the public until 1994, when they were deployed to Haiti in Operation Restore Democracy.

GROM conducts rescue operations, including hostage recovery, as well as counterinsurgency missions. They have extensive weapons and medical expertise and have mastered a range of military disciplines, including parachuting, amphibious insertion, diving, pyrotechnics and vehicle handling.

Business Insider reported that training for Pakistan's Special Services Group requires a 36-mile march in 12 hours and a five-mile run in full gear in 20 minutes — if that's true… then damn.

Jordan Has An Insane Special Forces Training Center For Elite Soldiers

Created to combat terrorism, extremism and separatism, SSG training consists of grueling physical training, flight school, a 25-week commando course and hand-to-hand combat training. Apparently only 5% of recruits complete rigorous training.

Because of their position, they actively participate in counter-terrorist missions. From flashpoints along the India-Pakistan border to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan to Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a joint military offensive against terrorist organizations, the SSG goes where the fire burns.

Delta Force is an elite counter-terrorist unit of the United States Army, with Army Rangers and Green